


If Only It Were That Simple

by bgn846



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Gladnis, Kissing, M/M, Misunderstandings, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:15:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27691978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bgn846/pseuds/bgn846
Summary: Ignis and Gladio go on a diplomatic trip together in place of Noct. They are alone and having to make do with what little amenities are available. Que some angst and a few misunderstandings, what else could happen?
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Ignis Scientia
Comments: 8
Kudos: 37





	If Only It Were That Simple

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Recipeh_for_Success](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Recipeh_for_Success/gifts).



> I had an opportunity to craft this fic for the lovely Recipeh for Success, I hope you like it! Sorry, it's like way longer than I imagined it. I can't write short Gladnis fics it seems. XD

Unable to understand why Gladio still had a smile plastered on his face; Ignis tried his best to not scream out loud. First, they’d been drenched while waiting at the train station for a ride. Then, the car that had come to get them, suffered a flat tire. Gladio had of course offered to help the lone driver in switching to the spare, which meant Ignis felt the need to get out and help as well.

So, here they were, ninety minutes later, standing in what was most likely the town hall, waiting to meet with the man in charge. This was supposed to be a diplomatic mission to strengthen ties with an outlining village north of Insomnia. The nifs hadn’t made it out that far, so the place was left relatively untouched. Ignis suspected it was left alone simply due to the fact that it was so difficult to get to! Protected by mountains and only accessible via one poorly maintained road, this village was the epitome of off the beaten path. 

Working to suppress his shivers Ignis tried not to pace the small space as they waited to be seen. The driver had shown them into the cramped space and promptly disappeared. Most likely to go find whoever was supposed to greet them.

Breathing deeply through his nose, Ignis attempted to calm his nerves. They’d been chosen to come out here on Noct’s behalf. The prince’s royal advisor and shield held some clout in certain places. It made sense why Regis had been reluctant to send Noct. They were in the middle of nowhere. Any visit from the crown was good, whether or not it featured an actual royal. Ignis was proud to serve his friend and prince in any way.

Despite this sentiment, he was struggling with his emotions. He should feel special that the king trusted him enough to handle this mission. However, as the rain continued to pour down outside with no other signs of life appearing, Ignis was beginning to wonder if they were being laughed at back in Insomnia. He could almost hear Regis and Clarus debating how they’d handle the trip ‘let’s send the two youngins’ out into the field and see how they do’. His daydream of their current nightmare ended soon enough, he had other things to worry about. 

When he’d first been debriefed for the mission, it had sounded like the perfect escape, a far-away place, no prince to take care of, and pure unadulterated alone time with Gladio. Now, as he fought to keep his composure, he wasn’t so sure. The part of his brain that handled his ever-growing crush on his friend, and fellow crownsguard, wasn’t being very helpful either. Having to constantly tramp down on the barrage of ‘you’re finally alone with Gladio’ thoughts was a challenge. He was on a diplomatic trip, not in some romantic fueled fantasy land.

“I see why they didn’t want to send Noct,” Gladio offered quietly as they waited. “It’s a little rough n’ tumble out here.”

“Yes, well, I don’t see why they had to send us instead,” Ignis hissed under his breath, his self-doubt kicking in.

“Aw come on Iggy, it’s an adventure. No boring council meetings or pampering a grumpy princess for the next week. Relax and have some fun.”

Ignis tried desperately to cling to those words of encouragement. He managed to survive the introductory meeting with Bhanis, the man in charge. They sat in soaked clothing for nearly thirty minutes as Bhanis talked and talked. The guy either didn’t care that they were clearly uncomfortable or hadn’t noticed. Ignis was leaning on the side of hadn’t noticed, since Bhanis’ own appearance indicated that he’d also gotten soaked through with the rain. Perhaps it was a normal occurrence in this place. Sitting around and having meetings in damp clothing.

Though, Ignis’ patience was wearing dangerously thin as the leader of the small village showed them to their rooms. Or rather a room. Turns out when you call someone by their official title and fail to add more detail, misunderstandings can happen.

Staring at the lone bed in the space Ignis tried to think of something to say that wouldn’t come off as being rude. Thinking fast he blurted the first thing that came to mind. “Is the other room nearby? I’d like to have a debriefing meeting with my collogue before dinner.”

Bhanis furrowed his brow and frowned. “This is the only room, we only have one.”

Did that mean they’d only prepared one room and they had others, or this was literally the only guest room in the whole village? “I see; might there be another room available with two beds?” Ignis tried hoping he wasn’t sounding too dense. The man had just said it was their only room.

“No, sorry, we only have this space to house our guests. Your communication only mentioned one person coming so we thought it would be alright. I think it had noted an advisor and a shield.” Bhanis paused and looked over to their bags. “Though, that’s an awfully small shield if you’ve fit it in your pack.” 

Realization dawned on Ignis. They’d thought he was talking about a thing, not a person. Vowing to go back and reread his letters to Bhanis, Ignis was sure he’d clearly mentioned two people. “No problem, we will make due,” he replied with a forced smile.

“Good, good, we’re all very excited to have someone from the crown visit. Not many people make it out this way.” Bhanis announced with a grin. “Rest until dinner if you’d like, I’ll send someone to fetch you when it’s ready.”

The moment the door closed Ignis began apologizing, “I’m so sorry this has happened, I didn’t think they’d misread what I’d sent over. I can sle--.”

“Iggy, calm down, I’m not complaining,” Gladio interjected. “This is fun, it’s a new place with new things to learn.”

Groaning by way of an answer, Ignis threw himself into a nearby chair and sulked. This was his first mission away from Insomnia and he’d already screwed it up. He was only nineteen and still working hard to earn the respect of those at the citadel. Did it matter that he’d been personally chosen by the king to stand by Noct? Not to everyone else it seemed. Lost in his own mental battle, Ignis missed Gladio walking over.

“Hey Iggy, you should take a hot shower and change, hanging out in these damp clothes for too long isn’t good.”

“Hrm, oh yes, quite right. Where’s my bag?” he asked looking around in a daze.

Gladio motioned with this thumb where the bags were but didn’t step away, “You okay? You seem a little frazzled.”

“It’s nothing, I’m fine,” he lied.

“Hey, I’m not one of the council members, you don’t have to lie to me,” Gladio replied with a reproachful tone.

“Apologies Gladio, I’m merely lost in my own thoughts, do forgive me.”

“Go, hop in the shower, I’ll see what’s on tv, and then maybe we can relax a little before dinner.”

Taking the opportunity to be alone, Ignis quickly got up and rushed into the bathroom. Praying for hot water Ignis turned the taps on and began getting ready. He needed to get a grip. Worrying about what everyone else thought wasn’t going to help. Ignis needed to have a successful trip and not act like a total idiot in front of Gladio. How hard could that be?

Ignis discovered that not acting like an idiot was in fact, very hard. Ten minutes later as he stood with nothing but a small towel wrapped around his waist, he realized his mistake. The bag with his clothes was still in the room. Why did the Eos hate him today? Before he could fret any longer a knock sounded at the door.

“Hey, you forgot your bag, do you want it now?” Gladio asked.

“Yes, please, and thank you.” If his voice cracked, Gladio didn’t comment. Soon the door opened and his bag was handed off. Ignis could feel his face burning from the embarrassment of it all. Thankfully, he stayed hidden behind the door and promptly snapped it shut when Gladio’s arm was clear.

What more would he have to endure before the night was over? Then, in a flash, Ignis remembered what his brain had so craftily pushed aside earlier. There was only one bed; they were going to have to share. Normally this wouldn’t have been an issue, they’d gone camping together before and shared a tent, but this was different. The camping trips had been a long time ago when they were younger before Ignis had developed his crush.

He was already feeling bad about the room mix up, the last thing he wanted to do was add to the misery by making things awkward between them. Nothing screams this is completely casual like accidentally dry humping your best friend in the middle of the night. Unsure of how to handle the situation, Ignis got dressed and put on his best ‘I’m totally fine’ face, and left the bathroom.

Surviving dinner was his first real challenge of the night. He’d weathered the aforementioned tv watching by sitting in the lone guest chair, while Gladio lounged on the bed. This place really was devoid of any luxury items, it was no wonder since they didn’t have many visitors. 

Hoping that Gladio wouldn’t notice his odd mood, Ignis forged ahead and continued on with his normal duties. They were here on a diplomatic mission after all. He had to get something right before they left this six-forsaken place.

\--

* * *

Roundabout what would have been the dessert course in a fancy meal, Gladio began to worry about Ignis. His friend was acting very odd and almost giving him the cold shoulder. He could understand if Ignis was focused on making sure he paid attention to Bhanis and the few others in attendance. That still didn’t explain why he wouldn’t make eye contact with him.

Thinking back to when they started on their journey that morning, Gladio wondered if he’d done anything to upset Ignis. Resigned to waiting until later, after they’d retired for the night, Gladio forced a smile and kept quiet. He could at least let Ignis do his job without interruption.

Thankfully, their hosts assumed they were both tired from the long day of travel and ended dinner with little fanfare. Though, Gladio wasn’t sure he was looking forward to sharing the room with Ignis anymore. The advisor held his stone-faced expression the entire walk back to their room. The rain had stopped finally, but it had turned the village into a veritable mud pile.

Sighing heavily he trudged after Ignis; whose’s shoulders were squared, in a very unfriendly gesture. It was almost as if he was going to his own death sentence. The sooner Gladio climbed into bed and fell asleep the better. 

Going for the bathroom first, he got ready for bed and decided to ignore Ignis. If his friend was bothered by something, then he better damn well tell him because Gladio had no clue what he’d done wrong. Looking only at the bed when he exited the bathroom, Gladio quickly got in under the covers and rolled on his side to face the wall. He’d left enough space for Ignis, there wasn’t much more to do.

He heard Ignis clear his throat once but didn’t bother to acknowledge it. If he had something to say to him it could wait until the morning. This was bullshit. This trip was supposed to be fun, not whatever this had turned into.

“I’m going to sleep on the floor, to keep from --.”

“Do whatever you want, I don’t care,” Gladio grumbled before he could stop himself. He was upset and not in the mood to hide his emotions.

“Oh,” was all Ignis weakly managed.

Tuning out the small noises Ignis made as he got ready, Gladio tried to force himself to fall asleep. He wanted to go home and forget this whole stupid trip had ever happened. Time drug on after that, his mind refusing to calm and give him peace. Every little breath or sigh from Ignis felt amplified in the tiny room. Gladio wasn’t even sure Ignis had lain down yet.

Gladio knew he wouldn’t be able to get a proper night's rest if he let whatever this was fester. Sighing loudly he flipped over and scooted closer to the other edge of the bed. “Hey, I can’t go to sleep when we’re mad at each other, think you cou--.”

“Mad?! What? Oh, astrals I’ve really screwed things up haven’t I,” Ignis spit out as he resituated himself on the floor. Gladio had been correct Ignis was still sitting up and leaning against the bedframe.

“What are you talking about? What did you screw up?”

“This whole trip is my first diplomatic endeavor and I’ve gone and screwed up the accommodations and I don’t think Bhanis likes me, and now you’re mad at me.”

“Whoa, wait a minute, what do you mean I’m mad at you? You started it.” Gladio huffed while waving his arms around frantically.

“I’m not mad at you,” Ignis replied sincerely.

“Then why the hell are you acting like a dolt, come on get up off the floor and get a proper night's rest.” Before Ignis could comment Gladio had reached out and grabbed his arm. “Come on, up you get.” Being strong helped when manhandling a slightly dazed person. Ignis tried to fight him but eventually gave up and allowed Gladio to drag him onto the bed.

Pulling the covers up with a quick pat on Ignis’ chest, Gladio smiled at his handy work. “There now you’ll sleep better.”

“I’m sorry I made you think I was mad at you.”

“Don’t sweat it, next time let’s talk sooner. I think I understand why you were freaking out earlier though. I didn’t get how upset you were about the room.”

“I don’t want everyone to laugh at me,” Ignis whispered after a moment. “I’m supposed to be Noct’s advisor and I can’t even handle simple room accommodations.”

“Seriously Iggy, that’s a load of bullshit, you are great at your job. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Are you actually worried about this, how the hell would anyone find out anyway?”

“You mean about the room?”

“Yeah, I doubt Bhanis is going to send a letter to the king about how you should’a booked two rooms. I mean they don’t even have more available. The only thing that would have changed is maybe bringing a sleeping bag or somethin’” Gladio paused and waited for Ignis to think about what he was saying. “I wouldn’t have let you go alone so don’t go assuming that outcome either.” When Ignis finally laughed, Gladio knew he’d broken through the fog that had consumed his friend most of the evening.

Even in the dim light from the night sky outside, Gladio could make out Ignis’ face clearly. He still had a smile on his lips and that made Gladio feel so much better. “So we good now, no more weird shit?”

“Oh yes, I’m sorry about making you feel like I was mad at you, it wasn’t my intention. I was simply lost in my own head.”

“I don’t like it when you’re angry, you have enough stuff to stress about in life as it is. Now, relax and get some sleep.”

Ignis hummed in response and let out a deep breath. It seemed he was starting to calm down in an attempt to sleep. Rolling back over himself, Gladio closed his eyes and promptly passed out. 

\--

* * *

For the first time in ages, Ignis awoke feeling well-rested and warm. The body pillow he usually used was very comfortable this morning. Not paying much attention to the improvement he slowly opened his eyes and froze. He was not at home in his own bed; he was hundreds of miles from Insomnia, currently draped over Gladio like a bloody blanket.

Why had he not slept on the damn floor?! Swallowing hard Ignis breathed in once and attempted to slowly pull away. This was when he became aware of Gladio’s muscled arm holding his shoulder. Six, was he actually using the shield’s arm as a freaking pillow? Figuring he could slide out from the bottom of the bed, Ignis began to wiggle ever so slightly.

However, when he went to untangle one of his legs that was wrapped around Gladio’s thigh, something terrible happened. Gladio moved.

“Oi, where do you think you’re going?” he grumbled before swiftly rolling over and pinning Ignis beneath him. 

“For—forgive me I didn’t realize,” Ignis stammered.

“Is that why you wanted to sleep on the floor last night?” Gladio asked nonchalantly, his expression almost smug in nature.

“Shit,” was all Ignis’ brain could conjure, “shit, shit, shit.”

“Oh really, that bad huh?” Gladio replied with a smirk as he rolled his hips.

Ignis had been thinking of what he could say, but Gladio’s simple movement caused his brain to short circuit. What had been the start of morning wood, before the shield surprised him, came back full force. Unable to bite back the moan at the sensation, Ignis turned his head in embarrassment. Maybe if he closed his eyes he’d wake up from this nightmare. 

“Iggy, Ignis, come on, look at me,” Gladio requested after a moment. “Get outta your own head, look at what I’m doin’ to you right now!”

“Hmmm.”

“I’ve got you pinned to a fucking bed and I’m enjoying it.”

That statement got Ignis’ attention, Gladio was enjoying it too. Feeling like a colossal idiot Ignis opened his eyes again and looked directly up into the two amber eyes staring at him with lust. “I’m afraid my skills of observation aren’t working as they should be,” he mumbled hoarsely.

Gladio barked out a laugh and grinned, “No shit Sherlock.”

Ignis watched as Gladio’s grin faded into something softer. The shield was slowly closing the gap between them. His eyes were darting up and down, most likely caught on Ignis’ lips. He could attest to that desire as his own gaze flickered between Gladio’s eyes and his mouth.

“Can I – can I kiss you?” Gladio breathed out, barely audible.

Ignis didn’t bother answering; he rushed up to meet Gladio’s mouth instead. It was like a dam breaking, he couldn’t get enough of the shields lips on his skin. They spent the next few minutes trading kisses like drowning men. All the while Gladio continued moving his hips around. It was almost too much to handle, but somehow not enough at the same time.

Reaching up to pull at Gladio’s hair, Ignis was working to remove his t-shirt when a knock sounded at the door. Freezing in place, Ignis waited. Whoever it was knocked again and announced that breakfast was ready. Listening intently to the sound of steps walking away, Ignis let out the breath he was holding. “We can’t, not right now. We can’t keep them waiting,” he rasped.

“That’s okay, I mean, we’ll be sharing the bed again tonight,” Gladio teased as he claimed one last kiss before breakfast.

\--

* * *

Gladio couldn’t believe his luck. He’d always entertained the idea of liking Ignis as more than a friend. The time and place hadn’t come about to broach the subject until he’d woken up with Ignis clinging to him. Never having seen his friend look so peaceful before, Gladio had taken the time to enjoy the moment before Ignis woke up.

Even after he’d made his move Ignis still doubted the facts in front of his perfect face. Watching him practically melt into the bed was such a rush. Now, his only issue was how to act professionally in front of their hosts for the rest of the trip, when all he wanted to do was kiss Ignis silly.

Despite Ignis’ attempt to get them ready in a timely manner, they were still late for breakfast. Not by much, mind you, but enough to make Ignis glare at him across the table as they ate. This time Gladio could tell the look had no heat behind it. Most likely because the reason for their tardiness had to do with the mini make-out session they’d managed after brushing their teeth.

Gladio almost forgot they were here for other reasons when Bhanis started talking about their excursion for the day. They’d be visiting a farm in the mountains and not returning until later that evening. Curious as to what was so important that merited an all-day trip, Gladio easily listened to Bhanis as they all walked outside. 

Grinning excitedly when he spotted a few motorcycles in their path, he turned to Ignis to comment but stopped dead when he noticed Ignis’ expression. Ignis was wide-eyed and looking at him imploringly. He knew Ignis knew how to drive a car among many other types of vehicles, why would a motorcycle freak him out.

Stalling so Ignis could catch up, he raised an eyebrow in hopes Ignis would spill the beans. “I don’t know how to ride!” he hissed quietly.

“Oh, that’s easy, start looking in your satchel, think like a nerdy professor,” Gladio offered before he strode away towards Bhanis. “I love to ride, which one do we get to use?” he asked happily.

“They are all the same, please choose anyone you like.”

“Great, I think Ignis and I will fit on that one alright,” Gladio announced while pointing to the nearest bike.

“Oh, you don’t have to share this time,” Bhanis laughed. “Bikes we have plenty of, just not extra rooms.”

“Nice, but I think Ignis really wanted to document the trip and he’d be better able to do that if he wasn’t driving.” Looking over to Ignis, Gladio waved his hand around to indicate the scene before them. Ignis picked up quickly and pulled out his phone and a notepad.

“Yes, I was hoping to get a good record of the trip, can the bike handle two riders?”

“Oh sure, that makes sense,” Bhanis replied easily. “We’re very excited to have more people know about our efforts here.”

Nothing more was discussed as they got on the bikes and started out. Gladio could tell that Ignis was relieved at not having to learn a new skill in less than five minutes. Though, he was sure the advisor would have picked up the basics in no time.

The ride was rough over the rocky terrain, which made handling the bike a little tricky. He knew things were getting bad when Ignis would squeeze his legs together slightly as if silently telling him to be careful. After about forty minutes a small building came into view, followed by a long wooden fence. Given how far out from civilization they were, nothing could have prepared Gladio for what lay on the other end of the fence.

“You breed chocobos?” he asked in disbelief when a whole herd of the birds crossed their path a few minutes later.

“There must be hundreds of them,” Ignis added as they took in the sight.

Bhanis smiled proudly as they looked over the landscape filled with the giant birds. “Yes, this is how we make our living.”

“Why don’t more people know about this?” Gladio asked in wonder.

“We use third-party sellers to broker deals, so that means not very many people make it out here.”

“Forgive my lack of understanding, but how do you manage to sell enough birds to make it profitable?” Ignis asked kindly.

“Ah, our birds are raised in the best conditions,” Bhanis announced. “The mountain air helps them gain a cold tolerance that other breeds don’t have, and we feed them nothing but the highest quality food.”

“I see, so that makes your birds desirable over other breeders.”

“Exactly, our birds are the best you can buy.”

“Hey, wait a minute, do you all specialize in anything, like race birds?”

Bhanis’ grin grew even bigger; it was all starting to make sense. They were visiting a premiere chocobo racing breeder. No wonder it paid the bills, racer birds went for thousands of gil. 

“What other jobs can the birds do?” Ignis asked quickly, Gladio could tell his mind was working overtime.

“Oh they’re sturdy; if the crown were to ever need any good birds for the military we’d be happy to be your supplier. You can’t get a better chococbo than this.” Bhanis supplied as he looked out over the sea of feathers and yellow beaks. 

“I would very much like to discuss this with you in greater detail,” Ignis added excitedly. “I can see us having an en excellent partnership in the future.”

The rest of the day flew by after that. Ignis spent their time at the farm taking pictures and talking to farmhands. They even had a chance to see a rare black chocobo, the bird was truly magnificent and seemed to like Ignis. It would follow him around as they toured the farm. The spunky bird even tried to steal his glasses at one point. The advisor ducked out of the way just in time and promptly put his glasses away for safekeeping.

They ate as the sun began to lower into the afternoon sky, Bhanis wanted to get back to the village before sundown so they’d have to leave soon.

Gladio was happy to see Ignis finally getting into the trip. It seemed the prospect of bringing back such a treasure trove of information to the king had made him feel better. The ride back was pleasant enough, despite the bumps and dust in the air. Thankfully, Bhanis had given them visors to wear during the ride, it kept most of the debris away. Though Gladio was sure his hair was one giant knot and Ignis looked really cute all windswept and rosy-cheeked.

He wanted to get back to their room and pick up where they’d left off that morning. They had so many things to catch up on and discover. Overall, this trip was a success; Gladio knew Ignis would get high praises for his efforts when they returned home. Brokering a deal for military stock chocobos would ensure a leg up if they went to war with Niflheim. He was proud of Ignis and how he handled everything. The advisor was a hard worker, and Gladio hoped he would be able to show him how much he admired him. They were at the beginning of a new adventure together, one that Gladio couldn’t wait to get started.

\--

* * *

_Thirteen Years Later_

The sun glittered across the newly installed glass of the citadel as Ignis stood waiting for Gladio. He had a lunch packed for them and was ready to get going. They were exploring some of the outlining areas of Insomnia to check the damage level. Life was bustling again for most of the city, but some areas still hadn’t started rebuilding.

When the rumbling of a loud engine reached his ears, Ignis looked up and watched Gladio ride across the parking lot on a comfortable looking cruiser motorcycle. Smiling at his lover, Ignis then turned to wave goodbye to Noct. The king insisted on seeing them off since he was still a little clingy after being stuck in the crystal for ten years.

The king narrowed his eyes and pointed to the bike when it rolled to a stop in front of them. “Why only one bike, you know how to rid--,”

“Shhh,” Ignis interjected smoothly.

“What, excuse me, did you just shush me?!” Noct exclaimed. “I only wanted to know why you aren’t riding your own bi--.”

“Nahhhhhh Majesty, shhh.” Ignis could hear Gladio laughing behind him.

“Leave him alone princess, he wants to ride with me.”

“You too are so gross, don’t forget to take pictures,” Noct chided. “And I mean pictures of the city not of you two making out and being cuddly.”

“What, no pictures at all?”

“Nooooo, I’m already a nervous wreck when you two go out exploring without me, be safe, and have fun okay.”

“Will do majesty, don’t give Prompto too much of a hard time, he’s a good stand-in shield, let him do his job.” 

“Yeah, yeah, heard, get outta here before it gets too late.”

With a simple nod, Gladio and he set off into the morning light, ready to explore their newly liberated city. Life had been rough, but they’d handled it the best way they knew how. Together.

Relaxing into the seat Ignis closed his eyes and enjoyed the sensation of the wind in his hair and Gladio’s sturdy body between his thighs. This was going to be a fun day.

**Author's Note:**

> Check me out on tumblr if you want. Just mostly FFXV stuff with some random dribbles. [BGN846 Blog](https://bgn846.tumblr.com/)
> 
> or Twitter [ BGN846 Twitter](https://twitter.com/BGN846?lang=en)
> 
> Please don't copy or plagiarize my work. Thanks! Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents.


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